In selecting an organization for the design and fabrication of an aircraft, an aircraft related product, or any other technical development, it is of utmost importance to investigate in detail the background of the individuals who run the company and who will be principal in making your project a success.  It is important to make sure that the individuals are qualified, and have the necessary background and experience for the anticipated work.

Orion Technologies is unique in this aspect in that we are the only organization serving our industry with the necessary level and scope of experience under our roof.  The company's principal, Mr. Bill Husa, is a skilled configurator (for a definition of "configurator", please follow this link) and airplane designer with nearly twenty five years experience in airplane configuration development, structures and aircraft systems. 

We are also supported by several individuals who excel in their fields and serve as valuable resources for our customers' programs.  The following paragraphs provide a general background overview of our key members.
 

Mr. Bill Husa started his career as a mechanic and restorer for automobile exotics and racing applications.  He also spent some time at the Boeing Company as a sheet metal manufacturer and machinist.  Today, this background, coupled with his extensive technical experience, aids our customers in assuring them of a manufacturable product on the first go-around.

After attaining his university education (B. S. in Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering) Mr. Husa spent several years working for General Dynamics, HITCO Aerospace Structures and Boeing, serving as a configuration developer and structural designer on several leading edge technology programs of their day.  This included work on several AMSC (Advanced Military Spaceflight Capability) and TAV (Trans-Atmospheric Vehicle) programs, as well as the Boeing team for the development of the ATF (Advanced Tactical Fighter).  He also spent time supporting several commercial programs including HSCT (High Speed Civil Transpport), which was also at times known as the Orient Express.

On the smaller side of aviation, Mr. Husa has been supporting the general aviation arena, and specifically the "experimental" sector, since the late seventies.  His first company, Orion Aero-Mechanical, was started in 1982 in the San Diego area in order to help several ground-up developments that needed assistance with structural and stability issues.  Orion Technologies was then born a couple of years later in the Seattle area, also for the purpose of providing design and development support for all types of general aviation endeavors.
 

Our second principal is Mr. Dave Harris, a professional commercial and air-show pilot with more than 20,000 hours of flight experience in aircraft ranging in size from his fleet of BD-5Js to commercial aircraft including the BAe146, the 727 and many others.  In addition to his piloting skills, Mr. Harris has owned over twenty aircraft, seventeen of which he has built.  His forty five years of experience in the aircraft industry is invaluable in the areas of marketing and market analysis, as well as program management.

Mr. Harris is our company test pilot as well as a valuable resource for optimizing aircraft systems, components and construction techniques.  His work with airline training centers allows us to develop pilot training programs for most any new aircraft including high performance prop, turbo-prop and jet.

We also have part time support from several experienced key individuals including Mr. Bruce Bashforth, who was the principal force behind the original ultralight, the B1-RD, an airplane which he and his then partner put into successful production after their departure from the parent company, Robertson STOL.  As the ultralight market started winding down, Mr. Bashforth undertook the design and development of their company's new product, the Minimaster, a scaled down two place aircraft patterned after the Cessna Skymaster.

Mr. Bashforth's experience at companies such as Glasair, Bayliner and several other aviation and marine based organizations, allow us to better our fabrication techniques as well as provide better support to our customers.